Preflight Entertainment

It’s 7am and I’m at SeaTac airport awaiting a flight to Maui. A much needed vacation, I am already in vacation mode, regardless of the crowds at the airport stinging my mellow mood. I stood at the gate for awhile, watching the newbie travelers walking around in a daze, the sunburned people arriving off the red-eye from Honolulu and wild children running around like dogs in an off-leash park. I was bored, I was starting to feel the anxiety of all these other folks and my vacation mode mellow was fraying at the seams.

I decided to go for a walk around the terminal. I didn’t want any food, or any charbucks coffee, but I spied a new store at the end of the C terminal that looked like fun. Stuff oozed out of the store. On a rack just outside of the store there were purses and wallets made of recycled materials – I was really considering buying a coin purse with cat butts on it. With my self control in check, I entered this temptation filled store. Why is it that when you are in vacation mode you want to just buy, buy, buy?

I strolled through the crowded store, trying not to knock something off the shelf. I questioned who the audience was for this store. I had the luxury of 15 minutes before boarding and I found myself so overwhelmed by all the stuff that even if I wanted to buy something I wouldn’t have the time to make a decision. The bacon tie did tempt me, for that bacon lover in my life, but I passed. Then I saw a book that made me question why I was at the airport waiting for a 5.5 hour flight.

Unfettered, I continued to explore this store. I found something that was a bit more appropriate for traveling. An inflight comfort kit with ear plugs and eye mask. But how can I believe that this product was a serious accessory for my travels when next to it is a cookbook about donuts?

Just as I was leaving the store, I had an epiphany as I stood in front of a bouquet of fake flowers with lights strung through them… The store was an example of what would happen if fireworks hit a pinata and all the toys, candy and other crap flew onto the store shelves.